Aged Black Garlic

Black Garlic, originally intended as a healthy dietary supplement, has become one of the hottest new "must-have" ingredients in the cutting edge chef's pantry. The unique qualities of Black garlic are the result when whole garlic heads are fermented under heat for several months. The flavor of black garlic can be difficult to describe - slightly sweet, with subtle hints of licorice and fennel, with subdued, but distinctive, true garlic flavor intact. Its chewy-gooey texture is reminiscent of sun-dried tomatoes or cured olives.

Top chefs are still learning new ways to use black garlic. Pureed with olive oil, it resembles an olive tapenade, but with a dense, sweet flavor all its own that complements fish and seafood. Black garlic has been used in a braise to intensify the umami-rich flavor of spare ribs.

One thing is for sure - black garlic is here to stay and imaginative cooks will continue to devise new recipes utilizing the unique flavor and texture it possesses.